Anyone want a C-421, cheap?

Jay Honeck

Jay Honeck

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jay Honeck
I just received this:

There will be an auction for the abandoned 421 airplane that has been parked at the Mustang Beach Airport. The date and location of the auction will be Tuesday June 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at 705 W. Ave A in front of the Police Department. Please pass this along to anyone that may be interested in this auction if you have any question please contact me or the Constables Office at 361-749-5211.

Thank you,

Francisca Nixon
Office of the City Manager
(361) 749-4111
**************************
It was a really nice plane, when the guy made an emergency landing after losing an engine over the island. This happened in the middle of the Great Recession four (?) years ago, and our best guess is that the guy had the engine/prop pulled, got the estimate for repairs, and simply walked away from the problem (and loan).

The poor thing has been out in the salt for all this time, so it's pretty much trash, but the interior was nice leather, and there might be some value in the remaining engine.

I'm tempted to mount it on the roof of the hotel as a wind-Tee. ;-)
 
Thanks. I am always looking for usable used parts.

Just off the top of your head, do you know if it is a B or C model?
 
A 421 sitting outside for seven years on the ocean. Oh yeah. Shouldn't be anything wrong with it.
 
If you know the tail number I can find out if it's a B or C.
 
I think it's N421KW
Flight Aware showed lots of trips in and out of Mexico
 
Jay Honeck said:
I just received this:

There will be an auction for the abandoned 421 airplane that has been parked at the Mustang Beach Airport. The date and location of the auction will be Tuesday June 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at 705 W. Ave A in front of the Police Department. Please pass this along to anyone that may be interested in this auction if you have any question please contact me or the Constables Office at 361-749-5211.

Thank you,

Francisca Nixon
Office of the City Manager
(361) 749-4111
**************************
It was a really nice plane, when the guy made an emergency landing after losing an engine over the island. This happened in the middle of the Great Recession four (?) years ago, and our best guess is that the guy had the engine/prop pulled, got the estimate for repairs, and simply walked away from the problem (and loan).

The poor thing has been out in the salt for all this time, so it's pretty much trash, but the interior was nice leather, and there might be some value in the remaining engine.

I'm tempted to mount it on the roof of the hotel as a wind-Tee. ;-)
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Does the auction provide clear title?
 
N747JB said:
Early B model, if it's missing an engine and prop it ain't worth much! :dunno:
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It's probably worth a $2500 bid if it's local to you. You're looking at around $45k if all the gear components and fairings and such are good assuming the missing engine and prop was on the dead side, not the good side. Of the other prop is still there, it's likely the good side. The aluminum is worth a bit, but you have to cut the panels from between the rivet lines to get best money. They hate whole fuselages and wings and hit you hard for it.
 
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If it got donated to Cloud Nine, I'd probably decline.
 
If it has a good electric windshield to salvage, you can easily sell it for $15k.
 
Henning said:
If it has a good electric windshield to salvage, you can easily sell it for $15k.
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Not for a used one. And you have to remove it.

If I was local I'd take it as a donation, but it won't fit in the back of the 310 for me to haul home.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Not for a used one. And you have to remove it.

If I was local I'd take it as a donation, but it won't fit in the back of the 310 for me to haul home.
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New they're over $27,000 last I saw. Removal is doable without breaking it, and can be done in a day. There's a lot of system bits and pieces. The armrest breaker panel is a good item as they occasionally have fire problems down there. I salvaged out a 411 we were going to ship to Guam but found fully corroded out on disassembly. A lot of that little stuff adds up pretty nicely and can probably pay for a trip to OSH if you want to haul it up to the flea market. Seat frames and rails, landing gear and door components... It all adds up, but takes time and effort.
 
Henning said:
New they're over $27,000 last I saw. Removal is doable without breaking it, and can be done in a day. There's a lot of system bits and pieces. The armrest breaker panel is a good item as they occasionally have fire problems down there. I salvaged out a 411 we were going to ship to Guam but found fully corroded out on disassembly. A lot of that little stuff adds up pretty nicely and can probably pay for a trip to OSH if you want to haul it up to the flea market. Seat frames and rails, landing gear and door components... It all adds up, but takes time and effort.
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I haven't priced one recently, but $20k is about the installed number people are talking these days for new ones. But Cessna is having supply issues, and the PMA'd ones aren't good. Now is not a good time to need a windshield. Used ones aren't popular because the labor is so ridiculous on replacement.

Yes, there are lots of good parts that add up. If I was local, I'd take it. If they donated it to me (based in Ohio), not worth it. Best bet is an individual who wants to part it out and then scrap the rest, which is probably what they're going after.
 
So you remove this heated windshield to resale, how do you establish how much time is on this windshield?

Do you think the previous owner left the airframe logs in the airplane?
 
RotorAndWing said:
So you remove this heated windshield to resale, how do you establish how much time is on this windshield?

Do you think the previous owner left the airframe logs in the airplane?
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Maintenance Fairy doesn't care. Even if you get $5k for it on a $2500 bid you just made money.
 
Henning said:
Maintenance Fairy doesn't care. Even if you get $5k for it on a $2500 bid you just made money.
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Last time I checked, the windshield on a 421 is a life limited item. Installing one without proper documentation proving previous accumulated time is illegal. Good luck on finding a shop or A&P (or anyone) willing to install your "Total Time Unknown" part on a certified airplane. :nono:

:rolleyes2:
 
RotorAndWing said:
Last time I checked, the windshield on a 421 is a life limited item. Installing one without proper documentation proving previous accumulated time is illegal. Good luck on finding a shop or A&P (or anyone) willing to install your "Total Time Unknown" part on a certified airplane. :nono:

:rolleyes2:
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For a $10-15k savings? 20% of 421 owners are my market minimum, probably closer to 60%. Please tell me there are no planes out there with undocumented repairs now...:rolleyes2:
 
Henning said:
For a $10-15k savings? 20% of 421 owners are my market minimum, probably closer to 60%. Please tell me there are no planes out there with undocumented repairs now...:rolleyes2:
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I realize you are not an A&P and have no working knowledge of the regulations as they pertain to aircraft maintenance, that's obvious. :rolleyes:

One way to get yourself in something you won't talk your way out of is installing life limited parts without documentation. The FAA turns those cases over to the OIG to prosecute.

But keep blathering about subjects you know nothing about, that's your forte. :rolleyes2:
 
RotorAndWing said:
I realize you are not an A&P and have no working knowledge of the regulations as they pertain to aircraft maintenance, that's obvious. :rolleyes:

One way to get yourself in something you won't talk your way out of is installing life limited parts without documentation. The FAA turns those cases over to the OIG to prosecute.

But keep blathering about subjects you know nothing about, that's your forte. :rolleyes2:
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I know quite well what happens in industry, thanks, you don't need to have an A&P for that, and I spent 4 years total working on planes at CRSs and have found many instances of repairing repairs that had never been logged. To insinuate that doesn't occur in itself gives your point the validity it deserves. No such thing as guys selling pencil whip annuals either right?
 
Henning said:
I know quite well what happens in industry, thanks, you don't need to have an A&P for that, and I spent 4 years total working on planes at CRSs and have found many instances of repairing repairs that had never been logged. To insinuate that doesn't occur in itself gives your point the validity it deserves.
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Nice twist to avoid the subject. Undocumented repairs are one thing, installing life limited parts without documentation is another. In this thread, you are advocating removing a life limited item from an airplane in which you can't document time. That makes that part useless, and it doubt seriously you'll find a buyer since they won't find anyone willing to install it and risk possible jail time if they are caught.

As far as your "experience" you claim, I'll just chalk that up with a lot of your other claims. :rolleyes:
 
Jay Honeck said:
I just received this:

There will be an auction for the abandoned 421 airplane that has been parked at the Mustang Beach Airport. The date and location of the auction will be Tuesday June 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at 705 W. Ave A in front of the Police Department. Please pass this along to anyone that may be interested in this auction if you have any question please contact me or the Constables Office at 361-749-5211.

Thank you,

Francisca Nixon
Office of the City Manager
(361) 749-4111
**************************
It was a really nice plane, when the guy made an emergency landing after losing an engine over the island. This happened in the middle of the Great Recession four (?) years ago, and our best guess is that the guy had the engine/prop pulled, got the estimate for repairs, and simply walked away from the problem (and loan).

The poor thing has been out in the salt for all this time, so it's pretty much trash, but the interior was nice leather, and there might be some value in the remaining engine.

I'm tempted to mount it on the roof of the hotel as a wind-Tee. ;-)
Click to expand...

If you bid on it and win..

I will personally come down there and mount it on your roof for ya... NO charge...;)

Ps.. you will have to hire the crane for 1/2 day though...
 
All I said was you will sell it. It will sell to someone doing an undocumented repair to save money. That's what "Maintenance Fairy doesn't care" means. You are the one that brought rules into it, and everybody knows rules go out the window when there is money to save. You said I don't know what goes on, wrong, I know exactly what goes on.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Are you going to put it on a pivot so it will weathervane?
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Yup.....
I will fab the pivot brackets here... I think it will be a KOOL project.....

Be real nice if the streets were wide enough to transport it to the hotel with the wings still on it...
 
Henning said:
All I said was you will sell it. It will sell to someone doing an undocumented repair to save money. That's what "Maintenance Fairy doesn't care" means. You are the one that brought rules into it, and everybody knows rules go out the window when there is money to save. You said I don't know what goes on, wrong, I know exactly what goes on.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes2:
 
N801BH said:
Yup.....
I will fab the pivot brackets here... I think it will be a KOOL project.....

Be real nice if the streets were wide enough to transport it to the hotel with the wings still on it...
Click to expand...

IIRC, even with the wings removed at the natural break, the 421 fuse is over 11'. It was one of the big cabin pistons we needed to go full permit and escort on, it was either it or the Chieftain. I'd like a 195 for a wind T.
 
Henning said:
IIRC, even with the wings removed at the natural break, the 421 fuse is over 11'. It was one of the big cabin pistons we needed to go full permit and escort on, it was either it or the Chieftain. I'd like a 195 for a wind T.
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Low boy trailer,, 2AM.. Piece of cake.....

Won't even have to move traffic lights...:no:
 
N801BH said:
Low boy trailer,, 2AM.. Piece of cake.....

Won't even have to move traffic lights...:no:
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:lol: I hauled a 195 from around Hattiesburg to Wichita Falls with the H-stab still on to beat out a storm system, and that sucker is like 11'6. I was looking at those black clouds and said "f-it, tie the straps and we're gone". Funny thing was cops kept rolling up to tell me how cool it was.:lol: Not one said anything about hanging over the lane.
 
I didn't know there were C421 parts buyers at the Oshkosh flea market. The knowledge around here is incredible.
 
3393RP said:
I didn't know there were C421 parts buyers at the Oshkosh flea market. The knowledge around here is incredible.
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Everybody who owns a plane who has any sense scans the flea market area for bargains on what are common need high dollar parts. I see all sorts of stuff there.
 
N801BH said:
Yup.....
I will fab the pivot brackets here... I think it will be a KOOL project.....

Be real nice if the streets were wide enough to transport it to the hotel with the wings still on it...
Click to expand...

The street is plenty wide from the airport to the hotel. And the beach would work too, in a pinch. If this were an Ercoupe, or a C-120, I'd bid on it.

But a 421? With my windstorm insurance requiring certification of virtually everything I build? I don't think there's a rat's ass chance of sneaking THAT one past the bureaucrats. :lol:
 
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